Reunion
by Pazzesco
Summary: One year after graduation, the original members of New Directions are coming together again. After everything that has happened, Quinn Fabray will count herself lucky if she makes it through unscathed. Sequel to 'Almost'
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone - back again with more Quill. This is the sequel to _Almost_, and if you haven't read that, you really should. Otherwise you'll be pretty confused. There will be some flashbacks in this story, but I'll mark them clearly. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: There is no copyright infringement intended. I don't own Glee, or it's characters. In season 3 when Will and Quinn run off together, you'll know I've assumed control.**

* * *

"Alright guys good work today, I'll see everyone on Monday."

A chorus of "Later Schue" and "Thanks Mr. Schuester" filled the auditorium as three dozen high schoolers chattered their way to the parking lot. When the last backpack had slipped around the corner, Will Schuester sat heavily down at the directors table. He rubbed at his tired eyes and sighed. If running a glee club of 12 was tiring, corralling three times that amount was infinitely exhausting. More kids made his job ultimately more rewarding, but it also meant more voices to fine tune and more self-proclaimed stars fighting over solos.

Maybe he was just getting old. They said that 35 is the new 25 - but right now 35 felt like the new 55. Even with the help of a choreographer for the kids (and my God what a happy day it was when _she_ showed up) he still woke up most mornings with an aching body. Between Spanish classes, Glee Club practices, and helping produce this years spring musical, he was just plain run down.

After checking his watch he decided to shelve his internal whining for another day. He made his way through the empty halls - the sound of his hush puppies echoing on the tile loudly. He took in the posters decorating the walls, and debris left behind by the eager-to-leave student body and he remembered why waking up with a sore back and creaking knees everyday was worth it. He was made to be a teacher. One of the things that made him happiest in life was guiding his kids to heights that they didn't think they could reach. Watching their faces light up under the spotlights when they got a standing ovation. And after all that had happened...he counted himself lucky that he still had the opportunity. He was doing what he loved, and if that meant regular trips to the local pharmacy for Icy Hot and Excedrin so be it.

He pushed out of the doors and into the warm May afternoon, past the (honestly frightening) giant stone statue of a wildcat. Even after a full year here he still marveled at the differences between McKinley and his new school. Springfield High was one of the best and most lauded schools in Ohio. It had a specialized program for arts and language students, hallways blessedly free of slushy puddles, a cheer leading coach who _didn't_ want to cut the brakes on his car, and of course as Figgins would say, "Boosters who write fat checks." It was his dream job, and all in all not a bad reward for being run out of Lima. Well maybe not run out. Guided gently.

* * *

"Isn't one year after graduation, like, way too soon to be having a high school reunion?"

"You're preaching to the choir, Melissa," said Quinn Fabray, as she packed a duffel bag in preparation for a weekend away from her dorm room. "I'd much rather be _anywhere_ than spending what I'm sure will be an unbelievably awkward two days in Lima."

Even saying the name of the town out loud had her stomach churning nervously. Her first year at Ohio State (thankfully financed by scholarships, loans, and her mother's alimony payments) had been the polar opposite of her time in Lima. Free of lies, hurt, and anger. She had some of the worst moments of her life in that town. She had also had some of her best, but this past year had been an opportunity to start with a relatively clean slate. Though, she had a feeling that her slate was going to be dirtied by the end of the weekend.

"If you don't want to go that bad – _don't go_," offered her roommate simply. "I'm sure you - "

"Rachel Berry," Quinn interrupted sharply, "Is an absolute force of nature. If I don't show up she will diva down here and drag me to that party kicking and screaming."

Of course the mastermind behind this 'reunion' was Rachel. She thought it would be fun (and in some cases, therapeutic) for the original members of New Directions to gather one year after graduation. A party at her fathers' house, she had explained excitedly over the phone a few weeks ago. And when Rachel had that tone to her voice it was just easier to go along with what she wanted.

The truth was though, despite some of her more...unique...qualities, Rachel had turned into one of her closest confidants in her last years at McKinley. She owed her. A lot. And if that meant suffering though this party to make her happy, then she would have to do it.

Besides, she was still on pretty good terms with most of the club. Most being the key word. There were some names on the guest list she was dreading seeing face to face. It's easy to get on the wrong side of people when your high school legacy is cheating on your boyfriend with his best friend, getting knocked up by said best friend, getting kicked out of your house by your parents, and using mildly underhanded means to get some notoriety back. Oh, and who could forget having a 'scandalous affair' with your choir director. That's the kind of thing that cements a girl's reputation in small town Ohio.

"Well it's only two days," said Melissa. "After it's all over you can come back and forget about the entire town again."

"Yeah," Quinn replied softly, only half paying attention as she checked the time. "I guess I can."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I make a reference to an Idina Menzel song in this chapter ('Gorgeous'), so a little suspension of disbelief is required. Enjoy!**

Rachel Berry prided herself on being an upstanding person. Do the right things and you'll be rewarded. For a good part of her life, the right things were so easy to recognize. Don't cheat on tests, be on time to her singing and dancing lessons, never miss a morning on the elliptical. At some point though the 'right things' became hazy and harder to grasp. Chasing after Finn when he was still with Quinn - telling him about her lies. Were those the right things? Everything seemed to work out all right so she told herself that they were.

But one afternoon in the McKinley parking lot tested her yet again. When she had walked in on Quinn and Mr. Schuester, _together_, in the choir room saying she was shocked would be a massive understatement. She was shocked the week before when Mr. Schuester finally allowed her to perform a selection from Rent. This was...something else entirely. And when Quinn found her at her car, her world already tilting off it's axis starting spinning wildly.

It was somehow easier to believe that the dalliance between the two of them was a one time thing, fueled by Quinn's hormones and Mr. Schuester's loneliness (Rachel had seen Ms. Pillsbury's new boyfriend pick her up from school just the week before). But Quinn's desperate explanation had opened her eyes.

"_I know I said that if you told anyone he'd lose everything, but I would too. Because I'm pretty sure I'm in _love_ with my _teacher_, and its all hanging by a thread..."_

She wanted to tell Quinn to snap out of it what she was doing (what _they _were doing) was absolutely dangerous. She wanted to appeal to Mr. Schuester, who was supposed to be the authority figure, to put a stop to it. Like he had with her. She still squirmed with embarrassment at the thought. But when she looked into Quinn's eyes, she didn't see an infatuated girl who gave novelty gifts and made 'surprise' dinners. What she saw was real. She decided to keep their secret. At first she had thought she hadn't done the right thing. That when their relationship inevitably fell apart, she would bear some of the guilt. It took one afternoon in the choir room junior year to change her mind.

* * *

_2011_

_February 14__th __ had never been a particularly romantic day at McKinley High School. In honor of the holiday, the slushies were mostly red, making the hallways look like gruesome crime scenes rather than fluffy love nests. Most of the girls that got presents spent the day complaining to their boyfriends about getting the wrong kind of flowers, while rubbing their gifts in their single friends faces. And perhaps most disturbing of all, Mr. Halverson the creepy science teacher decided it would be the perfect day for his Anatomy students to dissect cow hearts. "I__t's Valentines after all!" Rachel was fairly certain Mr. Halverson wasn't married. _

_ By the time that afternoon's glee rehearsal rolled around, most of the club were in poor spirits. Tina sat as far away as possible from both Mike and Artie she wasn't sure which of the boys she was currently dating, but she seemed angry at both of them. Puck sat in the back row, but whether he was angry or just...Puck, Rachel couldn't tell. Kurt was his usual unflappable self, but anyone could see his mask was starting to crack. Next to him, Quinn looked like she was in another world, holding a necklace in her hands, and absentmindedly rubbing it's charm between her thumb and forefinger. Mercedes sat, sullen, next to Brittany and Santana who looked like the only happy people in the room._

_ With the exception of Finn and herself of course, who were having a perfectly fine Valentines, despite the fact that they both got slushied while sharing a kiss before fourth period. _

_"A__lright guys, sorry I'm late," said Mr. Schuester as he entered the room. By the way that he slouched in and slumped down into a chair, it seemed that even he had been affected by the dark cloud that had rained on the rest of her fellow club members. "I __know this is a big day for you guys, and if you wanted to cut out early -"_

_"M__r. Schue?" interrupted Santana with a raised hand. __"I __wouldn't volunteer for something like this usually, but I heard this song the other day, and I want to sing it to...the class."_

_ Mr. Schuester looked as surprised as everyone else that Santana, who usually made an enormous effort to appear like she didn't care about the club, had offered to get up and sing in front of the group._

_"U__h...go for it, Santana," he said as he moved off to the side, and Santana passed Brad and the jazz band some sheet music._

_ Rachel recognized the song from the first notes, but the rest of the club sat in half-interested confusion._

"In a perfect world, in another time...In a far off place we wouldn't need to justify..."

_ Rachel was the only person that seemed to notice Quinn's soft gasp as she heard the opening line of the song. Of course she was the only one who knew the affect it would have on her. Besides Mr. Schuester of course, who met Quinn's gaze with a look so intense, Rachel could practically feel the emotion coming off his body in waves. A song about a relationship that is frowned upon and not understood. And despite that, it becomes something beautiful. _

"Everything we are, and all that we believe...We could finally be whoever we both want to be..."

_ Quinn's eyes had started to mist with tears, catching the attention of Kurt. He looked at her worriedly, but she was still focused on their glee coach, now with the smallest of smiles on her face. Santana and Brittany seemed to be in their own world, and so did Quinn and Mr. Schuester._

"The city wants to fight but it can't touch us anymore..."

_ Her knuckles were white as she gripped the charm in her hand, and a single tear was making its way down her cheek. When Mr. Schuester saw, he half rose from his seat, before he realized where he was and sat back town. His hands too, were balled into tight fists. They both seemed to be forcing themselves to stay seated._

"As long as we crash and we collide, we will be gorgeous, gorgeous..."

_There were full blown smiles on Quinn and Mr. Schuester's faces now, but so was the case with the rest of the club. Santana and Brittany only had eyes for each other, and the rest were grinning at the two cheerios. After Santana had finished, and the last grace notes had faded, the applause was almost matched by the sounds of sniffles coming from the risers._

_ When the club had been dismissed for the day, it didn't take a genius (although Rachel prided herself on her outstanding observational skills) to see that Quinn was purposefully hanging back. Rachel waited outside the door long enough to hear a muffled thump and muttered __"I __love you" before she continued on her way._

_

* * *

_Present Day

_ "_I always liked that necklace you have on when did you get it?"

Quinn lifted the flower charm so the stones inside could catch the light.

"A few years ago," she said, smiling for what felt like the first time that day. "It was a Valentines present."

"Pretty," said Melissa, just before Quinn's phone vibrated from across the room. "Well, looks like your ride's here - better late than never."

"Always late," said Quinn fondly, before throwing her duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Well, try and have a nice trip, and if there are any big blowups I want a text!" laughed Melissa, and Quinn rolled her eyes.

"You'll be the first to know, I promise," she said, before walking out of the door.


End file.
